Academic Tips: Creating Schedules
If you’ve filled out the last chart we posted, you already have a good idea of how much time remains for study after you’ve completed school, chores, and other extracurricular activities. Now use these time management worksheets from Cal Poly to plan your days, weeks, and semesters.
Start by creating a weekly schedule. Include the time you spend in class and at after-school meetings. Be sure to build in time for dinner and exercise. Then use a highlighter to mark blocks during which you are willing to commit to study. A two- to three-hour block is usually most efficient.
The daily schedule should be constructed each night before you go to bed. On a small piece of paper, list the specific task you need to complete, along with the time, duration, and location. Be realistic when building in time for study and make sure to leave time for leisure activities. Plan to study the most difficult material first to get it out of the way.
Finally, create a master schedule to keep track of your entire semester. Here is where you can note long-term projects. Set small goals for yourself to break these long-term projects into smaller, manageable pieces (and to avoid leaving everything until the last minute). If you have a paper due at the end of the month, for example, you might set a due date for choosing a topic, then another due date for completing research, then another due date for completing the first draft. Be sure to update the master schedule throughout the semester, adding in new due dates and modifying existing ones as necessary.
